2nd Urbanworld Festival Kick Off This Week; Spikes Discusses Event

Don't be misled by the fact that Urbanworld is a Black film festivalthat's only in its second year of existence.

Happening this week in New York City from August 5th - 9th, The SecondAnnual Urbanworld Film Festival features actors Wesley Snipes,Angela Basset and Sydney Poitier. The festival also boasts panelistsMichelle Bird, (Executive Director of the IFP) and John Singleton,(Director of "Boys in the Hood"). In addition to screening 70 short andfeature length films, Urbanworld will also include a screenplaycompetition, an actor's workshop and eight panel discussions on a rangeof industry topics. And if that sounds like a lot to have achieved withsuch a young festival, there's a secret to Urbanworld's success.

Before founding this festival, Executive Director Stacey Spikes was theVice President of Marketing of Miramax Films and then at October Films.And Spikes has developed Urbanworld with higher ambitions than simplycreating another Black-themed festival.

"I look at the major film festivals, like Sundance and Toronto, and tryto study what they're doing. More than just having a good minorityfestival, I want to have one of the best festivals there is. That's mygoal," Spikes explains.

But Spikes confides that he applied himself to Urbanworld with more inmind than simply making it a profitable enterprise. Feelingdissatisfied with himself in his position as a marketing executive,Spikes chose to act on his sense of responsibility toward young Blackfilmmakers struggling to break into the industry.

"My soul was starting to die," Spikes says of his time at Miramax andOctober. "The soul starts to die when you're collecting a paycheck andyet you could be doing so much more."

In answer to that sense of responsibility, Urbanworld has displayedtremendous growth since its remarkable success last year with thepremieres of the $44 million grossing "Soul Food" and Bill Duke's periodgangster film "Hoodlum." Notable premieres this year include "HowStella Got her Groove Back" (scripted by "Waiting to Exhale" writerTerry McMillan), and "Down in the Delta," starring Wesley Snipes andAlfre Woodard. The latter film marks the film directing debutof acclaimed writer Maya Angelou.

With the addition of new sponsors and new screens, Urbanworld hasdoubled the number of films and panel discussions. And the winner ofthe screenplay competition, another new addition this year, will havehis or her work performed in an industry-attended reading on Friday.

[Tickets for individual screenings, not including premieres, are $7.Day passes, also excluding premieres, are $25 dollars. Passesfor the entire festival are $500. Ticketing and inquiries are handledby the Urbanworld offices at 212/941-3845.]